Introibo ad altare Dei
by mmclaugh
Summary: Chapter 2 Detective Shinji Ikari isn’t sure which is harder, working a double homicide with no suspects and little to no evidence or keeping Detective Ayanami and Detective Inspector Katsuragi from killing each other. AU, with some OCC.
1. You're Actually a Police Officer?

A loud, blaring tone from an alarm clock awoke a skinny young man from his slumber. Rolling out of his Western-style twin bed he clumsily stumbled towards the offending piece of machinery and with his eyes still half closed in slumber disengaged the alarm. Rubbing his eyes and mussing his short brown hair in an attempt to regain full control of his senses, he noticed the time.

"Getting up at three fifteen in the afternoon, whoever had the bright idea of starting a shift at five in the evening must have been some sort of night owl. Or maybe a drunk."

Uttering a morose sigh, Detective Shinji Ikari began his usual morning, well, afternoon, routine.

After finishing his meager breakfast/lunch, Shinji made hasty final preparations for his first day. Deciding to make a solid first impression, he forsook his typical outfit of a sloppily buttoned business-casual shirt and heavily worn slacks. Instead, he picked out his slightly worn navy blue dress suit, his "good one," along with a white shirt and red tie.

Exiting his apartment and starting his walk to the subway, Shinji remembered that he had forgotten the one piece of equipment that he had never come close to using back in Sapporo. Sighing, he headed back towards his apartment. "That would have been rather embarrassing. Of all the things for a police officer to forget." Shaking his head, he continued his localized monologue. "Then again isn't like I need a gun."

Conducing a cursory search of his bedroom he discovered his service weapon lying on the top of his dresser, still nestled in its small brown leather holster looking as though it had never left its resting place, which wasn't particularly far from the truth. As he clipped the holster to his belt and the front of the left leg of his pants, a picture of a smiling young woman seized his attention. The brunette wore a gray blazer over a black blouse with a gray skirt, an outfit that dated from the early aughts. The only indication that she was not an office lady or low-level business executive was clipped to the front of her skirt. There, nestled within a small leather holster, was the same revolver that Shinji now carried with him.

With a couple of stray tears running down his face, Shinji returned the picture to the nightstand and silently cursed himself for resurrecting his mental anguish.

"I'm sorry, Mom," he suddenly blurted out in a voice filled with regret and self-pity. _Great I've finally lost it enough to the point where I'm apologizing to a photo_.

Taking a moment to regain his composure, Shinji went into the bathroom and washed his face. Looking at his wristwatch, he saw that it was 3:55.

Walking by his bedroom, Shinji gazed at the picture and spoke to the picture of his mother.

"Some days I wonder just what life would be like if you were still alive now. Or for that matter if Father had died instead." Chuckling morbidly, he continued, "The really bad thing is that I wish it was him. That's despicable isn't it? To wish one's own father dead?" _Now look at me, asking rhetorical questions to a picture_. _And why is it unnerving me so badly when I've seen this photo every day for the last twenty years? _Now back in control of his emotions, Shinji voiced a simple question, more to himself than to the picture. "Why the hell did I become a police officer again?"

With a pained sigh, he left his bedroom and headed towards the elevator, while rubbing his hand against one of the few tactile mementos of his mother's life. Perhaps in some small way carrying his mother's gun as his service weapon, despite its obvious obsolesce, was an attempt to bind himself to her or at least, to carry a reminder of her life and sacrifice with him always. On the other hand, perhaps he simply was too cheap to pay out the seventy thousand yen for a newer weapon.

After an uneventful trip to Kasumigaseki, Shinji exited the subway and began his constitutional towards his new home away from home, Keishicho, headquarters of the Metropolitan Police. While squinting at its distant edifice and attempting to remember exactly where he was supposed to go, Shinji absent-mindedly began crossing a busy thoroughfare. Just as he started across, the stoplight changed, releasing a torrent of impatient drivers unconcerned with the neurosis of a plainclothesman. A blaring car horn finally jarred him from his thoughts. Startled, Shinji looked up to see a blue sports car barreling down upon him. In that split second, he realized the speeding coupe was to be the last image of his life, assuming the pavement while bleeding to death didn't count. Making a haphazard attempt at an evasive dive, a single morbid thought entered his mind. _Mom, guess I'll be seeing you sooner than I thought._

Much to his surprise however the sports car expertly swerved, coming to a stop in a conveniently empty storefront parking spot.

While relieved at his newfound second chance at life, Shinji became infuriated at what he perceived as the reckless driving habits of the coupe's owner. While his first urge was to mumble an undeserved apology and avoid a confrontation, the nearness of his morality led the milquetoast detective to a more proactive course of action. Girding his proverbial loins, he briskly walked towards the Renault preparing to confront the lunatic who almost had snuffed out his spark of humanity.

With an unusual amount of vigor, he pounded on the tinted driver's side window. "Hey you! Why don't you watch where the hell you're going!?"

With a soft whir, the pane of glass slowly descended, reveling the driver to be, not a delinquent as Shinji had predisposed but a striking woman in her early thirties who appeared to have long purple hair, or at very least, black locks with a violet sheen. Enhancing her implausible appearance was her attire, which consisted of a tight, high-neck, short black dress and a red leather bomber jacket with a barely noticeable bulge on her left side. However, her blunt reply preempted any attempt on Shinji's part to gawk.

"Fuck you! I had the damn light and in case you didn't notice, I came damn near killing myself trying to avoid you. Maybe next time I ought to just run your ass over. That would teach you to look before wandering into the damn street!"

Taken aback by the brusque retort Shinji retreated to the power of his authority. Reaching into his coat pocket, he took cover behind the totemic protection of his police identification.

"Metropolitan Police." With his voice cracking with nervousness, Shinji rushed out a warning "I should run you in for threatening a police officer but, I'll let you off with a warning, assuming you apologize of course"

Instead of having the desired, if unlikely, reaction of cowering her into submission, the driver of the Renault laughed and reached into her center console.

"Guess they must be selling those trinkets in fifty yen vending machines. After all I've got my own." Grimacing, she struggled with a small wallet sized id holder that had fallen between the passenger seat and the center console. Forcefully yanking it from its sanctuary, she flipped the holder open reveling a small golden badge in the shape of a Chrysanthemum. "Inspector, which I believe trumps Detective."

Taken aback by the discovery that he and the women not only shared the same profession but that she outranked him, Shinji could only incredulously respond. "You're a police officer?"

"Well either that or it came with the car, I think it's been down there for a couple of years now." Looking at the frazzled detective the inspector took a more sympathetic tact, if only to keep open the window of opportunity for her to be on time for the first time in over a week. "This is your first day, isn't it?"

_Is it really that obvious? Well I was almost run over crossing the street. And, now that I think about it, I guess the light was green. You know, she doesn't exactly look like a detective. Why is she trying to be nice to me all of a sudden anyways?_

"Detective?"

"Huh. Oh, yeah. Today is my first day working in Tokyo, although I have been a police officer for around…"

Cutting Shinji off, the inspector quickly got to the matter's heart. "That's great. Say, since my car seems to be fine, do you need a ride to headquarters?"

Shinji looked at the Inspector warily. _She obviously drives like a bit of a psychotic but this is the only way I might be on time for work. Ehh, its only eight blocks and she can't possibly be that bad of a driver._ "Uhh…sure, thanks for the offer"

"Not a problem," the dark-haired women proceeded to lean over and open the passenger door. After Shinji sat down and began to situate himself in the Renault Alpine, the woman smiled at him in a manner that seemed genuinely friendly but with a touch of a darker emotion behind her visage. After putting her seat belt on, she proceeded to back out into the busy thoroughfare at sixty kilometers per hour, much to the horror of her new passenger whose mind started churning at about the same speed as the wheels on the French sports car.

_Great, maybe I'll be heading to the netherworld after all. You know she doesn't look like a policewoman at all. Especially wearing that outfit, I can't imagine her Superintendent allowing such apparel. Not that I'm really complaining but it doesn't exactly speak well of her professionalism, or lack therefore of. Maybe she's a vice detective? Shit, I think she just realized that I'm staring at her…_

Shinji's intuition was correct as the Inspector noticed that his eyes' laser beam focus had locked upon her upper torso. Deciding to make Shinji squirm before arriving at their mutual destination she leaned over, leered at him and proceeded to probe in her sultriest tone of voice "Do you see anything you like?"

_Yeah, that isn't a loaded question. Nope, not at all. For that matter shouldn't her main concern be on driving? Okay, enough being sarcastic I need to think of a way out of this jam. Ahh, yeah the necklace. _"Err, I was just admiring your necklace, Inspector. After all you don't see many crosses being worn in Japan."

Realizing that the "proper" action would be to return to her normal tone of voice, the Inspector answered Shinji's unspoken question. "Thanks. It was a gift from my father on the day of my confirmation. I suppose wearing it was supposed to serve as symbol of my faith or something." _Instead, it's nothing more than a constant reminder of how much I've let him down_. After a short pause the inspector continued. "But to be honest I just wear it because I think it goes great with most of my outfits. Looks like we're here already." The Inspector interrupted herself as the car pulled into a parking garage underneath the Keshico. After she parked the Renault, Shinji was about to exit the car when he turned back to the driver.

"Thanks for the ride. Inspector…."

With a grin she responded, "Please, call me Misato. No need to be particularly formal."

"Thanks for the ride, Misato."

"No problem. Maybe we'll run into each other again Detective…"

"Ikari, Shinji Ikari. Oh, but you can call me Shinji, if you want."

_Ikari, huh?_ Misato waved a quick goodbye to Shinji while heading towards the garage's elevator. "Okay then. Nice to meet you Shinji."

With the farewells given Shinji and Misato went their separate ways with Shinji heading towards the reception desk. While the conversation with Misato had calmed his nerves, trepidation filled Shinji as he approached the desk sergeant. "Excuse me, Miss."

The sergeant on duty had long ago grown tired of having to deal with the public on a daily basis and it showed in her workplace manner. "Sir, you'll have to take a number and get back in line with everyone else."

"Sorry, mam'm but I was told that I was to talk to the desk sergeant on duty immediately once I arrived."

The sergeant disdainfully snorted. "Look, you need to take a number and wait in line like everyone else."

Growing angry at the attitude of the middle-aged woman in front of him, Shinji decided to invoke the name of the one person who, despite their rift, he knew would overwhelm the sergeant's defenses. "Just out of curiosity, you wouldn't happen to know who I am, now would you?"

The sergeant laughed in an irritated manner "Yeah, the pain in the ass twerp who evidently can't take no for an answer. So why don't you go…"

With a slight tinge of sadistic glee in his voice, Shinji interrupted "Perhaps I'm a pain in the ass twerp, but I'm also Detective Shinji Ikari. You may have heard of my father, Supervising Superintendent Gendo Ikari."

Upon hearing the name of the feared head of Criminal Investigations, the desk sergeant snapped to attention, although a perceptive soul could still sense contempt brimming under the surface. "What can I help you with, Detective?"

"Thank you. I recently transferred from Sapporo and was wondering if you might have a copy of my new assignment"

A very faint smile crossed the sergeant's lips as she realized that despite his powerful connections the boy in front of her was clueless to the day-to-day functions of the department. "I'm sorry, the computer network is currently down. Do you happen to know what section within Criminal Investigations?"

_The computer network is down? That's convenient_. "Homicide, ma'am."

"All right, head up to the fourth floor, then enter the fourth door on your left. You'll have to talk to Inspector Katsuragi to clear up any paperwork problems."

_Hmm, the number four twice. Someone in the office assignment pool had a morbid sense of humor. _"Thanks for your help." With a curt nod, Shinji walked towards the main elevator bank, absent-mindedly affixing his identification card upon his suit jacket during the walk. After an uneventful trip to the fourth floor, he entered the fourth office on the left. To Shinji's disappointment instead of an organized police squad room filled with professional detectives righting the wrongs of society, he encountered a scene of bedlam with every person in the room, save for one, involved in a whirlwind of manic activity.

The one exception was jarring in her abnormal appea

rance. Instead of the normal Japanese phenotype of dark hair and Asiatic skin tone, her appearance was albino in nature, with white skin and red eyes. The most unusual characteristic was her short powder blue hair, despite that shade being impossible in the human genome. Her outfit was a throwback to the fashions of the mid 1950's as she wore a plain light blue woman's business suit coupled with a white blouse that included a red ribbon tied around her neck, much as a schoolgirl would wear. As he gawked at the young woman, she realized that he was staring at her.

"Is there anything I can help you with, Detective?" she inquired with a voice that was quiet and soft but with a hidden core of steely determination sheathed deep inside.

_Great, caught starting twice in one day. Smooth, Shinji, Smooth. Well let's see if I can salvage this and at least not seem like a total creep_ "Err…Umm." _Wonderful start Shinji, just wonderful_. Shinji hemmed and hawed for another fifteen seconds until he finally managed to spit out a question albeit not the one he intended. "How did you know I'm a Detective?"

With an almost robotic tenor to her downy voice, the blue-haired woman responded "You're wearing an ill-fitting suit which you thinks makes you look professional while in reality it makes you look like a child about to sit for his first formal portrait. You have a dazed expression glued onto your face, typical amongst much of the Tokyo CIB. Also, you're carrying a standard, if obsolete, police weapon on your belt. Finally, Detective Ikari, you're wearing your police identification card on the outside of your blazer."

Shinji looked at the woman agape, not certain if she was taunting him for not realizing that he was wearing his id or if she was serious. Shaking his head in mild befuddlement, he proceeded to ask his original question. "So would you happen to know where I could find Inspector Katsuragi?"

"Perhaps a good place to look would be in the office marked 'Inspector on Duty'"

_Smart-ass. _"Umm…thanks. I guess. By the way I don't think I managed to catch your name."

"That would be because I didn't tell you."

"Right. Thanks again." Scanning the squad room, Shinji located the shift inspector's office. With butterflies in his stomach, he opened the door and walked inside. He first noticed a large dry erase board with seven names listed across the top of the board with others underneath, some written in black ink others in red.

_Well the names at the top are probably other detectives. Let's see whom we have here. Aida, Suzahara, Kirishima, Horaki, Ayanami, Hyuga, Katsuragi._ _I'm guessing the one blank spot is for me._

"Can I help you?"

Startled by the unexpected question, Shinji turned to see a man in his early thirties with short black hair and thick-rimmed glasses. _This must be Inspector Katsuragi. Seems like a decent enough sort of guy.__Suppose I should introduce myself_. Shinji then formally bowed towards the inspector in a manner out of fashion since the Pacific War, "Pleased to meet you, Inspector."

The bespectacled man quizzically looked back at Shinji. "Huh?"

_No wonder this place is so chaotic, this guy is off in his own little world. Maybe if I slow down and annunciate, he'll snap out of it._ Holding his formal pose, Shinji reiterated his greeting "Pleased to meet you, Inspector."

Before the thoroughly confused man could respond, the door to the office slammed shut and a familiar woman began talking. "Dammit! Late again." As she walked towards the desk the woman shrugged off her leather jacket, revealing a nine-millimeter semi-automatic nestled in her shoulder holster.

Stunned, and still bowing, Shinji could only ask a simple question. "M..M..Misato, what are you doing here?"

"I kind of work here Shinji. After all I assumed that our previous conversation confirmed that I'm a police officer. And why are you bowing? You'd think the Emperor or Prime Minister just walked in. "

Regaining his normal posture, a flustered Shinji pressed on "Of course, I know you're a police officer, but I assumed Inspector Katsuragi…" at this moment Shinji pointed at the dark haired man who was attempting to melt into the floor. "…was in charge here."

More amused than anything Misato pestered the unknown detective. "Makoto, what did you tell him?"

Flushed with embarrassment, Makoto protested his innocence "Absolutely nothing, I just asked him if he needed any help and the next thing I know he's calling me Inspector Katsuragi."

"Come on Makoto, I know you've always wanted to get into my pants, I just didn't know you would stoop to usurping my identity."

"But, Misato I swear I've never wanted to…"

Laughing, Misato attempted to ease her subordinate's fears. "Geez, Makoto, you of all people should know that I'm only teasing. Although I do enjoy the various shades of red you turn in these sorts of situations…"

"Would some one please tell me what is going on?" Shinji interrupted having grown irritated at being left out of the conversation.

Taking a more serious tone, Misato responded "Fair enough. Shinji, when we talked earlier, I should have introduced myself more formally." Turning towards Shinji, Misato extended her right hand. "Detective Inspector Misato Katsuragi, at your service. And the man who's been slowly turning the shade of an over-ripe tomato for the last couple of minutes is Detective Sergeant Makoto Hyuga."

The idea that this odd, albeit attractive, woman, was going to be his supervisor for the foreseeable future was too much for Shinji's psyche. Finally giving in, he collapsed to the floor.

Reassuming a teasing tone Misato quipped "Heh, most newbies wait until they see a victim in the flesh to pass out. Guess he has a weak constitution. Anyway, Makoto, would you give us a moment."

Relieved that the new detective's fainting spell had let him off the hook, Makoto assented to his commander's request but with one caveat "Sure. But shouldn't you send him to the infirmary to make sure he's okay?"

Her sense of humor getting the better of her, Misato took the opportunity to needle her sergeant. "Nah, looks like he's fine. Plus if push comes to shove, I'm more than willing to give him mouth to mouth."

Failing to devise a counter that would not delay his escape, Makoto shook his head and returned to the squad room. By this point Shinji started stirring on the office floor.

Adopting an almost motherly tone, Misato inquired as to Shinji's wellbeing. "Shinji are you okay?" _All kidding aside that looked like a nasty fall. I'm sure the last thing he needs is a concussion._ Seeing him struggling to get back to his feet, Misato put her arm around Shinji's shoulder and helped him regain his footing.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Shinji then weakly joked, "Guess I need to eat a bigger breakfast"

Reassured Misato attempted to get back to business. "Anyway if you're willing to take a seat we can get through your initial briefing." Shinji silently complied "All right. As I'm sure you've deduced most work in Homicide deals with the recently deceased. With our star witness lying on a slab in the second sub basement, our caseload is the toughest of any section in Criminal Investigations. So congratulations on getting here."

_Like I had any say in the matter. _"Thank you, Misato"

"You're welcome. Anyways, we use the partner system with one detective as the primary in charge of the investigation and the other as the secondary assisting officer. Whenever a uniformed officer or the M.E.'s office has just cause to suspect a homicide, they call our office's general line. Whichever detective answers is automatically the primary and his or her partner is the secondary. However, if one detective slacks off or takes on an overly strenuous workload, I'll shuffle cases around. Also, if Superintendent Fuyutsuki deems a case to be of supreme importance, Violent Crimes will assign all available resources to that case. When that happens, I'll take over as primary. Well, that's a very basic overview of everything. I'm sure you'll pick things up as you go along." As Misato started to show Shinji out of her office, she quickly added."Anyways, any questions?"

"Umm, yeah. Who is going to be my partner?"

"For the time being I've decided to partner you with Detective Hiraki Horaki."

Shinji mused to himself "Hmm, wonder if she's the blue-haired woman I talked to a few minutes ago?"

Misato not realizing that his question was more rhetorical than anything replied. "No. that's Rei. Let's just say that she doesn't play well with others and leave it at that."

Shinji looked as his superior quizzically "Rei?"

"Detective Rei Anynami. She's probably the best detective in the entire section, but she has major… communication problems. That and she goes through partners like cheap curry through a..."

Cutting off Misato's rather crude simile, Shinji interjected a question "What do you mean by communication problems?"

"Well, didn't you talk to her a few minutes ago?" Shinji nodded the affirmative"And what was the result of that conversation?"

Shinji thought about that situation for a moment before realizing Misato's point "Well, she spent most of the time insinuating that I'm a moron."

"Exactly. When she even bothers to talk to the other detectives, it's to take potshots. For example with me, she alludes to my drinking habits. Hell, today I finally gave up and assigned her to work with Mana, figuring that since Kirishima never shuts up and Rei never talks, at least one of them will rub off on the other one."

_Can't help but notice that she didn't exactly deny being a drunk. _ "Well, seems like Rei is an interesting sort of person."

"Yeah, interesting being the operative word. Anyway, I suppose she isn't really your problem. Don't get me wrong, I wish the rest of the squad had her clearance rate or her knack for deconstructing a crime scene. But it would be nice if someone could just get her to loosen up a little. Anyways…" Just then, the squad room's phone rang and much to Misato's consternation continued to ring, as none of the other detectives seemed interested in adding to their considerable workloads.

Right as she was about to berate the nearest veteran detective, Shinji absent-mindedly answered the phone "Hello. Yes, this is the Homicide Division. Shinji Ikari. Yes, it's my first day in the section. All right, I'll be there shortly. Thanks." Putting down the receiver Shinji looked at Misato "Well, looks like I've got my first case, a homicide in Musashino."

Misato tersely responded "Great. Now if only we could find that partner of yours. Hey, Touji have you seen Hikari around anywhere?"

A man of above average height wearing a tracksuit turned towards Misato. "Sorry, Misato, but you just missed her, she and Mana went to interview the family of the guy we fished out of the bay last week."

Seething at the discovery that her subordinates had either not read or simply ignored yet another of her memos, Misato restrained her anger "Thanks, Touji." As Touji turned away from the inspector and returned to the typical mountains of paperwork, the restraints snapped. "Dammit! Why the hell do I bother to do anything, if nobody ever reads the fucking memos!"

_And that was a nice bit of gratuitous vulgarity._ "That's okay Misato, I should be able to handle everything myself."

"No offense Shinji, but I don't think it's a good idea for you go solo on your first day." Glancing around the squad room, an idea popped into Misato's head. _Guess it couldn't really hurt, after all, it would only be for one case, hell one day even, and then we'll go back to the partnerships I set up earlier._ _Assuming she doesn't eat the newbie alive first. _Finishing her scan of the room, Misato's eyes focused upon the indigo haired detective. "Hey Rei!"

Begrudgingly looking up from her desk, Rei responded in an annoyed tone "Yes, Inspector."

"Since Hikari and Mana felt the need to wander off, I'm temporarily assigning you to assist Detective Ikari with a homicide in Musashino. Should be for just a day or so at the most."

Rei pushed her chair away from her desk and walked over to where the inspector and Shinji were standing. Emotionlessly gazing upon her superior, she made her view on the new assignment clear. "So basically you want me to keep an eye on Detective Ikari for a couple of hours, so that he doesn't make a complete disaster out of his first case before Hiraki gets back. Well, sorry to disappoint but I stopped babysitting children back in high school."

_Geez, blunt and to the point. Although, I'm certain we're close to the same age._

Misato furrowed her brow. "Sorry, but I wasn't asking. Also, I'll be tagging along to observe Shinji so you won't have to change his diapers or anything."

_Change my diapers?! Just out of curiosity, does either of them realize that I'm standing right here? _

With a resigned look on her face, Rei assented "Fine, but I have a request to make."

"Shoot."

"I get to drive. After all I would like to live through the next twenty four hours and the three of us can't even fit in that deathtrap you call a car, not to mention that it smells like a brewery."

Gritting her teeth, Misato conceded the point "Whatever gets us out of this office sometime today" Having resolved the issue Misato turned towards Shinji with a slightly more pleasant attitude "You ready, Shinji?"

"Umm, yeah, I guess."


	2. Is Insanity a Prerequisite?

Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion and all related characters are the property of Gainax Company Limited. I make no claim to ownership over any character or concept appearing in that work or any other work by Gainax Company Limited.

On a crisp April evening, a small powder blue Daihatsu sedan containing three detectives of the Metropolitan Police's Criminal Investigations Bureau sped, well, plodded, along the major artery connecting the wards of downtown Tokyo with the satellite city of Musashino. In the inexpensive car's cramped backseat, Detective Inspector Misato Katsuragi began to have second thoughts about a hastily established agreement with one of her detectives. Her reconsideration combined with the cramped quarters of the cheap Toyota knock-off, the thirty minute car ride which had stretched into ninety and her penchant for needling her subordinates led the Inspector to instigate yet another argument, the fourth of the drive, with her top flight detective.

"If I was driving, we would be there by now. Or at least before the body started to decompose."

Keeping her focus on the road and betraying no sense of anger or any other emotion, Detective Rei Ayanami softly countered. "If you were driving Doctor Aoba would have to identify our remains."

Realizing that what, by her standards, passed for subtlety was going to be ineffective, Misato took a straightforward approach. "All I'm saying is that if you would just drive faster, they wouldn't have to sit around waiting for us to show up."

Missing the point, willfully or otherwise, Rei responded in a flat intonation. "It's not my fault we were stuck for over an hour. Furthermore, I'm already driving the posted speed limit."

Misato snapped at Rei's attempt to hide behind the letter of the law. "Dammit, it's not like I'm asking you to drive a hundred fifty." Slightly reclining in the Daihatsu's backseat, she looked out the window and launched a snide aside. "Although I don't know why I'm complaining, it's not like this glorified golf cart can break a hundred and twenty."

Speedometer still firmly locked on eighty kilometers per hour, Rei launched the tactical nuke in any dispute involving Ms.Katsurgai and automobiles. "At least my car isn't held together with duct tape."

Knowing that a continuation of this argument would only lead to increased blood pressure and, perhaps, a viable insanity defense at trial, Misato silently conceded the debate with a withering glare and instead engaged her fellow passenger. "Hey Shinji." Unfortunately for the Inspector, during the second round of her ongoing dispute with the azure-haired detective, Shinji located his old SDAT tape player buried within one of his blazer's inside pockets and had been using it as a refuge ever since. However, never being one to take a subtle hint quickly, if ever, Misato made a second attempt to gain his attention, this time delivering a quick kick to the back of the seat in front of her. "HEY SHINJI!"

Her obnoxious shout, combined with the firm kick, rousted Shinji from his asylum. _That was mature, although judging by the last couple of hours I shouldn't be surprised._ Moving the headphones away from his ears, Shinji looked back at his superior with a bemused look and answered her summons with an annoyed tone in his voice. "Misato, if you want to get my attention, all you have to do is tap me on the shoulder. Now what do you want?"

Deciding that fighting with both of her detectives at once would be a tactical mistake, Misato leaned forward, looked at Shinji with a sheepish countenance and abashedly chuckled. "Sorry about that, guess I got a little carried away there." Regaining a less apologetic if still informal posture, she proceeded. "You mentioned earlier that you've been a police officer before, right?"

_She was actually paying attention then? Hard to believe considering how quickly she cut me off. _Shinji nodded in the affirmative. "Two years in Sapporo, both assigned to the Hokkaido Prefecturial Police's CIB."

"Okay. But what was your job there? I mean I'm assuming you would have told me if you had any previous experience working Homicide. I guess what I'm asking is if you actually have field experience?" Misato inquired with a twinge of nervous tension in her voice.

Shinji, sensing her anxiety and wanting to spare his new superior any undue grief, attempted to calm her nerves with a half-truth. "Well, I did get out of the office every now and then, if that's what you're asking."

The one thing Shinji forgot is that detective inspectors, even scatterbrained ones, are quick to detect falsehoods. Misato narrowed her eyes and sternly reminded him of this fact. "Shinji, where exactly were you assigned in Sapporo?"

_Guess this is what she gets for not bothering to read my file._ "Corporate Fraud Division. I spent most of my time investigating assorted insistences of low-level white-collar crime. And while I did go into the field, the majority of my work was in front of a computer."

Knocked back on her heels by Shinji's admission, Misato's mind began racing. _Great, just great. The new guy is nothing more than a glorified bureaucrat. Why do I always end up with the newbies, anyways? And just how does working as a white-collar detective in the north for two years qualify him for Homicide? Guess this means I'll never make Chief Inspector now. And I really could have used..._

Shinji finally jarred Misato out of her self-pitying internal monologue. "Misato, are you okay? You've been staring straight ahead for a couple of minutes now."

Scrambling, Misato attempted a bluff of her own "Yeah, of course, why wouldn't I be. And at least you have some experience, after all you never know when financial data will pop up." She finished her apprehensive statement with an unconvincing jittery laugh.

_Her bluff was almost as bad as mine was. But if she's willing to pretend, so am I. _"So what's your background, Misato?"

"Oh, I've moved around plenty over the last fourteen years. Outside of working with the Met, I've spent time in Osaka, Fukuoka and Nagoya where I was an Inspector in the Robbery division for two years before transferring back here last December. I even spent eighteen months working with the Baltimore Police Department as part of an Interpol exchange program. **Which is one of the reasons why I speak fluent English.**"

Beaming with a just a touch of self-absorbed pride, Misato soon realized that neither of her charges were going to respond with anything more than blasé indifference. Huffing, she took a moment to silently sulk about her attempt to show-off going unnoticed. _Guess that would have been more impressive if either of you understood English_.

Shaking off the disappointment of a moment before, the Inspector attempted to get back to something resembling work. "So, Shinji, what's the background information on our rigor mortis suffering friend?"

…_if she's been a cop for fourteen years already that must mean that either she started in her late teens or she's older than I assumed, thirty-five at least, maybe even forty. _"Huh? Well, the officer on the scene didn't say much of anything outside of there being a homicide in Musashino."

"And you didn't think to ask any follow up questions?"

"Umm, no."

Irritated at her new detective's lack of knowledge of a basic investigative technique, Misato calmly vented her displeasure. "Guess we'll just have to go in cold then, but in the future make sure you bother to take a couple of minutes to actually talk to the officer on scene."

Pausing to allow a sense of guilt to sink in, Misato took the opportunity to refocus her annoyance at a more consistent source of antagonism. "Assuming we ever get to the damn crime scene in the first place."

At that moment the Daihatsu suddenly de-accelerated much to the chagrin of it's two passengers. Noticing the looks of consternation on their visages, Rei responded to their unspoken complaints with a simple declaration. "We're here."

_Seems hypocritical to complain about my driving while pulling stunts like that one._ "Well, that took long enough. By the way, next time you insist on driving, would you please just sign out a Crown from Transportation Services." With her mouth slightly contorted due to the dull, throbbing pain coursing through her knees, Misato pressed on "Despite the spacious eight centimeters of leg room that Daihatsu was kind enough to provide your backseat passengers, I don't think I'll be able to walk normally for a week "

Having unfastened her seatbelt and with the driver's side door already half open, Rei looked back at her superior. "I don't foresee such an occurrence happening anytime soon."

Despite the vulgarities running through her head and slight throbbing in her right temple caused by Rei's snide remark, Misato ignored her and instead requested a favor of her other detective. "Shinji, would you mind sticking around for a minute?"

_Great, Now she's going to get on my case about forgetting to question the uniform._Shinji cautiously assented as Rei exited her automobile. "I guess."

"Thanks. Anyways I just wanted to..."

Before Misato could finish her thought, Shinji, with a chastened expression on his face, blurted out. "Inspector Katsuragi, I am truly and deeply sorry for my previous error. I know that I should have conducted more in-depth questioning before accepting this assignment and that my failure to do so may have already fatally compromised this case. If necessary, I am prepared to resign my position in an attempt to make restitution. However, with your guidance, strength, wisdom and most importantly forgiveness, I shall strive to avoid any future similar lapses in judgment." After his act of unprompted contrition, Shinji bowed in a formal sign of apology.

Instead of forgiveness or cold indifference, one could describe Misato's reaction as utter befuddlement. "What the hell was that?! For that matter didn't I tell you to call me Misato?" Noticing that Shinji was still bowing with a nervous quake into his posture, Misato decided to take a lighter approach. "Look, if it will stop you from making abrupt apologies for the next six hours, not talking to the uniform isn't that big of a deal." The traces of a self-deprecating grin began forming on her lips. "I have to admit that's probably the first time anyone has ever insinuated that I'm wise. Anyways, that's not what I wanted to talk to you about."

Shinji raised his head and resumed his normal sitting posture. "Oh."

"Yeah, I just wanted to let you know that I remember what it's like to work your first homicide, and that it's normal to be disturbed by the crime scene. After all, someone who a few short hours ago was a living breathing person with their own dreams and plans for their future has been reduced to nothing more than flesh and bone, and the realization of that tragedy can unsettle even veteran homicide detectives, let alone one who's on his first case."

_Yeah, that was a real reassuring little pep talk there. If I wasn't creeped out before, I certainly am now. _"Umm, thanks Misato."

Noticing that her attempt to calm Shinji's nerves appeared unsuccessful, Misato decided to put upon a purely jocular facade. "Anyway, maybe you'll be lucky and some pissed off housewife decided to put arsenic in her husband's ramen and she's up there bawling her eyes out to a uniform right now. " Reassuming a more serious tone, Misato continued "Just remember that, no matter what, you can't avoid what you find in that apartment."

Confused, Shinji attempted to clarify Misato's main point. "So what you're saying that I mustn't run away?"

"More or less. Anyways, we probably should catch up with Rei."

Finishing their conversation Misato and Shinji exited the Daihatsu and walked over towards where Rei was waiting next to a woman sitting on a bench near the exterior lobby of the apartment complex. She appeared to be in her early to mid thirties with short brown hair and brown eyes while her outfit consisted of a black woman's pantsuit with a periwinkle blouse underneath. The redness and puffiness around her eyes betrayed the fact that she had been crying a few minutes earlier. While walking towards Rei and the other woman, Shinji turned his head towards the Inspector.

"I'm guessing she must be part of the family."

In response, Misato testily grumbled, "No, this is just the way she acts at every crime scene." As the two detectives completed the walk to the lobby, Misato sternly addressed the woman. "We've talked about this before, a forensics detective can't break down crying every single time she goes out on a call."

Still sniffling, the woman curtly responded. "How characteristically insensitive of you, Inspector."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm an asshole. We've been over this before too, Maya."

Tears began to well up in Maya's eyes "I' know I need work on maintaining my composure, but this is different...I know them. We were together at SEELE. Not in the same research team, but I talked to them often enough that to see them lying there..." At this realization, Maya started crying again.

Showing greater empathy than with her previous comments, Misato placed her arm around Maya's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Maya and I realize how difficult this must be for you. But, I need you to try to forget that you know them and do your job. Otherwise, we won't be able to catch who did this."

Regaining her composure, Maya attempted to dry her eyes with the well-used tissue in her left hand. After doing so, she responded. "I'll try. At least, I should be good for the next couple of hours." Putting on a brave front, Maya arose from the bench and noticed Shinji for the first time. "Who's the new guy?"

Having taken Misato's earlier ribbing at face value, Shinji introduced himself by raising his hand in a casual gesture of greeting instead of formally bowing. "Detective Shinji Ikari, Homicide Division."

Misato being Misato, felt the need to make a teasing remark at Shinji's expense "What's the matter, don't you know that you're supposed to bow when introducing yourself to someone?"

While Misato snickered and Shinji grew red with embarrassment and infuriation, Maya politely returned the favor. "Nice to meet you, Shinji. I'm Detective Maya Ibuki from the Forensics Section." Changing her focus from Shinji to Misato, Maya continued. "We should head up. Shigeru's probably annoyed that I've left him alone for this long."

"What do you mean alone?" Misato inquired in a peevish manner, "Just where the hell are the uniforms?"

"They left about thirty minutes ago, claiming that they had important paperwork to fill out back at their Koban. My guess is that they just got tired of waiting around for Homicide and ditched me and Shigeru here."

Not certain whether she should admonish Rei for her slow driving or to gloat about it actually causing the officers' early departure, Misato instead focused her ire upon the absent patrolmen. "Guess I'll just have to call their Inspector. Maybe a couple of weeks traffic duty will remind them to stay on site until Homicide arrives." Shifting her focus from Maya to the blue-haired detective, her gaze penetrated through the back of Rei's head. "Although considering just how late we were, I suppose they had a point." Expecting a counter-punch, Misato was disappointed when Rei ignored her verbal jab. After giving a half-hearted shrug, she resumed talking to the forensics detective. "Suppose we might as well go up before the smell starts to waft through the entire apartment complex."

"It might already be too late for that." Maya hesitantly informed the Inspector.

With a grimace on her face, Misato led the detectives into the sixteen-story upscale apartment complex and, after making their way through the interior lobby, took the elevator to the fourteenth floor. After exiting the elevator, they headed towards the cordoned off apartment that served as the crime scene.

"Swanker than I expected." the Inspector quipped while taking in her view of the lavishly furnished apartment. However, after a second, the reason why she was there asserted itself upon her olfactory system. "Expect for the smell. Jesus, Maya, you weren't kidding."

"You think it's bad out there, you should come into the kitchen." replied a gruff sounding voice, which Shinji presumed belonged to the medical examiner.

Making a haphazard attempt to cover her nose and mouth with the collar of her jacket Misato entered into the kitchen while the other three detectives lingered in the foyer. "What the hell happened here?"

A man in his mid thirties with long unkempt hair and unprofessionally attired in a stained black t-shirt and jeans looked up from the kitchen floor. "Two dead. Judging by the look and smell of things, they've been that way for about a week." Looking out into the hallway, his voice took on a cynical tenor. "Since the bastards at SEELE have enough sway to pressure the department into putting Aynanmi on a case involving two of their employees, I assuming she's here as well. After all if they managed to get an Inspector to actually come out on a call..."

Interrupting the medical examiner, Misato attempted to debunk his conspiratorial predilection. "She's here but not because of any orders from the top brass." _At least, that I'm aware of_. "In fact, she's not even the primary. For that matter, I'm just here observing a rookie who had the misfortune to stumble into a multiple homicide on his first case. Speaking of which, where the hell is he?"

Turning her head back towards the foyer, she shouted towards the aforementioned plainclothesman "Hey Shinji, stop futzing around and get in here." Turning back towards the coroner, she started making small talk; glibly commenting on his previous statement, in an attempt to goad him into a further rant. "I have to say that I wouldn't have pegged you as the sort of guy to go around making snarky remarks about a conglomerate."

Taking the bait, the medical examiner obliged Misato. "I couldn't care less about their predatory business practices or that half of their products are shoddy pieces of crap that will eventually render me sterile. I can even overlook the fact that they are slowly dragging the world into a third-rate version of Blade Runner. What bothers me is that, despite the fact that my shift ended over two hours ago, I somehow ended up stuck prodding rotting corpses. Rotting corpses with SEELE ID cards. Now, I'm going to be in the office until midnight filling out paperwork."

"And I thought Misato was callous." Barely able to contain the rage bubbling inside her after Shigeru's callous diatribe, Maya glared at the M.E. from outside the kitchen. With less personal investment, Misato tried not to laugh at the medical examiner's rant, which, from her perspective, seemed harmlessly tongue in cheek. At this point, Shinji, with Rei trailing shortly behind him, entered into the kitchen.

"You called for me, Misato?"

Gesturing towards the medical examiner, she introduced the two men to one another. "Shinji, Doctor Shigeru Aoba, Deputy Medical Examiner for the Metropolitan Prefecture of Tokyo. Shigeru, Detective Shinji Ikari, the newest addition to the Met's Homicide Division."

Shigeru nodded slightly, acknowledging Shinji's presence, and then asked a sardonic rhetorical question. "An Ikari as well as Anynami and a DI? This is already starting to take on the trappings of a red-ball." Taking a moment to compose his thoughts Shigeru prepared to launch into a detailed description of what, as best as he could tell, happened. "Anyway, of the two fatalities, one is rather cut and dry, while the other is going to keep me up for days wondering just what happened here. So the question is which one do you want to hear about first?"

After hesitating for a second Shinji realized Misato wasn't going to cut him off and was going to let him make his first decision, however minor, as the primary. "Suppose we might as well hear about the simple one first."

"Well, I wouldn't call it simple, but at least it doesn't ignore the laws of thermodynamics. And, since it's your first day and all, I'll even be nice and try to keep the medical jargon to a minimum." Shigeru gestured towards a middle-aged man with a blood stained torso lying in the doorway between the kitchen and dining room. "Asiatic male in his early fifties. Numerous stab wounds, both puncture and laceration in nature. Laceration wounds located mostly along the outer forearms, presumably from his attempts to deflect the blows of his attacker. Most of these are shallow, no more than five millimeters in depth. The three deep puncture wounds in his vitals did the real damage. While I can't tell for certain which one was fatal, my best guess is that death was caused by the one here."

Shigeru pointed to a deep puncture wound in the victim's upper left torso. "The knife appears to have nicked the pulmonary artery connecting the heart to the left lung. However, it's not truly possible to determine the killing strike with without an autopsy. And it's quite possible that any of these three wounds would have ultimately proven fatal." Looking up from the body the coroner added a morbid detail. "Judging by the dried blood around the major wounds, he lingered for at least a good three minutes before bleeding to death."

After pausing for a moment to let all the information sink in, Shinji, voice wavering at the thought of the man lying on the ground before him being butchered, asked a simple question. "Did you find the murder weapon?"

"Yeah, Maya should have processed it already. Nothing fancy, just a basic steak knife, about twelve centimeters in length, wouldn't be out of place in the average kitchen. Which is more than I can say for the woman." Shigeru then pointed out the woman in the hallway between the kitchen and the dinning room. "Asiatic female in her mid forties. Cause of death is cerebral trauma, presumably caused by the small wound, about seven millimeters in diameter, in the middle of her forehead coming out through the back of the brain case. Judging by the burning along both the entrance and exit wound, I would say that the weapon in this case was some sort of laser. Taking into account the lack of burn marks anywhere else, I would guess a laser spear or perhaps a fixed length blade. Which raises all sorts of other problems..."

At this point, the Inspector decided to interject her thoughts. "Mainly, that the smallest laser weapon in existence is mounted on the deck of an American super carrier. Not to mention that a laser sword is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Why don't we have Han and Chewie fire up the Falcon while we're at it." As Shigeru forcefully sighed and rolled his eyes at her, Misato pressed on. "Wouldn't the wound being caused by a small-caliber handgun make a hell of a lot more sense?"

The coroner grimly nodded. "Yes. Yes, it would. But there is no gunpowder residue around the injury, and any caliber small enough to make a wound of that diameter wouldn't have punched all the way through, at least not that cleanly. Furthermore, neither Maya nor the uniforms were able to find any signs of a firearm discharge. Combine that with the lack of a weapon and..."

Misato snapped dismissively at Dr. Aoba's line of reasoning. "And you immediately jump to the conclusion that whomever did this used a laser?

"Well, considering the fact that it's nearly impossible to get a gun in this country…"

"Yeah, so impossible that I have to keep a bulletproof vest in the trunk of my car."

Growing annoyed, Shigeru snippily rejoined, "If you want to call this a shooting for the time being, knock yourself out. You'll just end up having to change tacks when I release the autopsy report."

Irritated over losing functional control over his first homicide investigation, Shinji voiced his opinion. "In that case, wouldn't it make more sense to follow Dr. Aoba's initial report?" He then turned his head towards his supervisor. "At least that's assuming I'm still in charge of this investigation."

Cross at his pointed reminder, Misato retorted, "Need I remind you who actually determines the lead investigator." At this juncture, she exhaled heavily. "Still, you do have a point. If I run everything, you'll never learn anything." Her voice lost its serious tone. "On that note, I'll be in the living room. After all I would be willing to bet that with an apartment this ritzy they probably have a satellite dish."

Surprised at his sudden victory and possession of the battlefield, Shinji's confidence abandoned him. "But aren't you supposed to observe me?"

Having completed another mood shift, Misato cheerily dismissed Shinji's concerns. "Nah, you should be okay, plus you have Rei to help you if you need anything."

As he looked back at the reserved blue-haired detective who had been silent for over ten minutes and was currently squatting on the floor in an apparent trance, Misato's statement failed to reassure Shinji. "If you say so." Turning towards the coroner, he then made a comment under his breath. "Just out of curiosity, does she always have such frequent mood swings?"

"No, right now she's actually sober." At this point Shiegru looked into the kitchen and noticed the Inspector rooting through the deceased couple's refrigerator. "At least she was sober. Hey Katsuragi!" Startled, Misato looked back towards the M.E. "You can't just go and compromise a crime scene simply because you need a booze fix. Not to mention what would happen if Kozo found out."

Shrugging, Misato flippantly responded. "Hey, it's not like I drove. And since Shinji won't let me do anything, I fail to see what the big deal is." With increased ferocity, she continued to paw through the fridge. "Although it's starting to look like they were teetotalers, anyway."

Shaking his head, the coroner dryly commented, "How she's managed to keep her job this long is beyond me." Returning his focus back to Shinji, the coroner wrapped up his previous conversation. "I've told you pretty much everything I know, but I'm sure that Maya has some info for you."

"Thanks for you help, Doctor." Remembering his previous error with the uniform, Shinji hastily asked an important question. "About when will the autopsy reports be released?"

"Probably by five tomorrow, assuming that I don't end up spending another day fully debunking her gunshot wound theory out of spite. Either way, I'll make sure to send copies of both reports to Homicide. Assuming you don't want to see the procedure yourself, of course."

Slightly blanching at that prospect, Shinji demurred. "I think I'll pass, after all I'm sure I would just end up getting in the way." The coroner's smug look made it clear to Shinji that his flimsy excuse had been transparent. "Anyway, I probably should talk to Detective Ibuki." Shinji concluded his conversation with the medical examiner under the assumption that his temporary partner would follow his lead, an assumption that quickly proved false as Rei remained on the floor.

_What's with her? Best not to pry, she probably would just ignore me anyway. Isn't that what everyone does? _With this uplifting thought, Shinji walked out of the dining room/kitchen area in an attempt to find Maya. Instead of calling out to determine the forensics detective's location or even bothering to flip on a light switch, Shinji began wandering through the more dimly lit areas of the apartment. The literal gloom combined with the grisly scene he just witnessed and the artifacts of the victims' lives passing through his peripheral vision forced Shinji's mind into a morbid state.

_Just who the hell would do something like this? They seemed like good people, and even if they weren't they didn't deserve this fate. Being murdered and discovered days later only because of the smell_. The image of the man slowly bleeding to death on his kitchen floor deepened his melancholy, filling him with a mixture of anger and fear. _Why would anyone do such a thing_? As was his want Shinji's thoughts turned inward, towards the fateful day twenty one years before when he had last seen a dead body. _I'm sorry, Mom_. _I'm so sorry._

At that moment of deep self-reflection, the sound of footsteps behind him followed by the sudden lying of a hand upon his left shoulder startled him. In an already anxious mental state and fearing the worst, he instinctively reached for the butt of his revolver and had already started to clear leather when the person the hand belonged to spoke up.

"Hey Shinji." Recognizing the voice of his superior, Shinji discreetly moved his hand away from his service weapon. "Why are you wandering around with the lights out, haven't you ever seen any slasher flicks?" With that glib question, Misato reached for the light switch in the hallway and illuminated the area.

Relieved, Shinji decided that talking to Misato was probably better than wallowing in his thoughts, even if his attempt to start conversation was painfully awkward. "Misato, I thought you were watching TV."

"Nah, their satellite is down. Can you believe that? You'd think that by 2025 they would have figured out a way to keep the signal from going out whenever it rains." Sighing, she prattled on "Which sucks since I was going to watch the end of the Giants' game, but I guess I'll actually have to do my job for a change. Assuming you'll let me, of course." Noticing that Shinji ignored her snippy reference to his curt dismissal a few moments before with nothing more than a simple shrug, Misato felt the need to inquire about his wellbeing. "Is everything okay? You seem rather distant." _Even more than before_.

Shaking his head, Shinji responded in a harried manner "Yeah, I'm fine, I'm just trying to figure out what exactly she's doing." Shinji then gestured towards Rei who was still on the floor in the kitchen seemingly lost in thought.

"Oh that? Some type of deep-immersion profiling technique. Developed by a German behavioral psychologist, Zeppelin or something, back in the aughts. Basically, she goes into a trance and reconstructs the murder scene in her mind." Leaning into towards Shinji, she whispered in a conspiratorial manner. "At least, that's what she claims, personally I suspect that she's taking a nap." Returning to her natural posture Misato resumed speaking in her normal tone. "Anyway, I'm more of an old-fashioned evidence gathering deductive reasoning sort of girl myself."

Absentmindedly, Shinji vocalized his thoughts. "Isn't girl a bit of a stretch?"

Misato teasingly leered at the young detective. "That's an awfully ballsy sort of thing to say considering how you were looking at me earlier." At this prompting Shinji looked away from the Inspector as she continued to taunt him. "Aww, what's the matter now, you'd think this is the first time you got caught gawking at a women."

Shinji looked up and glared at his supervisor "In hindsight, you're more immature than I thought."

Shinji's sharp comment wiped the grin off the Inspector's face and replaced it with a look of irritation. "What the hell do you mean immature?! I'm the most fucking mature person I know."

Deciding that an actual fight was not the way to go Shinji relented quickly, if not sincerely. "Okay, okay, I'm sure you are. You wouldn't happen to know where Maya is would you?"

_He backed down rather quickly, guess he still needs some toughening up after all_. Misato was about to state that she had no idea when the forensics detective answered Shinji's question. "I'm in here". Following the sound of her voice the two homicide detectives walked into what appeared to be the room of a teenaged boy. There they found Maya kneeling on the floor. Half expecting to find a third body in the room, Shinji was relieved to see that Maya was only processing the child's possessions, in an attempt to find some evidence regarding the scene in the front of the apartment. Trying to blot out the thought that someone had recently become an orphan if he was lucky, Shinji blurted out a basic question. "They have a son?"

Looking up from the floor with the sadness in her psyche starting to crack through the façade, Maya responded. "Norio, fourteen, just about to finish the eighth grade. Actually, that's the main reason why the uniforms searched the apartment in the first place. He hasn't been to school since last Wednesday. No sign of him here, and his room looks as though he just vanished."

Putting her left hand on her forehead covering her eyes, Maya looked downward and came to the verge of crying again. "The whole damn mess doesn't make any sense, no sign of forced entry or robbery, no blood traces from the crime scene leading anywhere else, almost no trace evidence period, no sign that anyone else was ever inside this apartment outside of Hitoshi, Fumiko and Norio. If I didn't know better I'd think that a phantom did this."

Misato interjected her thoughts "Well, there is an obvious answer, although one you're not going to want to hear."

Maya snappily cut her off "Are you trying to insinuate that a fourteen-year old boy is capable of murdering his parents in cold blood. Maybe that sort of thing happens in New York but not here. Even if that was the case how could there be no evidence, no blood trails, nothing at all. And, how would an eighth grader get access to a gun or, if you believe Shigeru's little theory, a laser?"

Misato backed into a defensive posture and tone. "Hey, I'm just throwing out theories here. No need to bite my head off for trying to make some sense of this goddamned clusterfuck."

Trying to ignore the simmering anger between the two women in the room, or at least avoid becoming a new focal point, Shinji asked Maya what he hoped would be a distracting question. "You wouldn't happen to have any background information on the two victims, would you?"

Reaching into her blazer's breast pocket for her digital assistant, Maya nodded and answered in the affirmative. "Doctors Hitoshi and Fumiko Terajima. Both research scientists for SEELE, initially working in the restorative health division. According to the company's online data report, they initially were devising new forms of cybernetic prosthetics and prototypes of functional full cyborg bodies. Six months ago, they left restorative health to work on Operation A-801. Which, according to the Met's database, the NSA has declared classified. The current project director is…" Looking at the name of the head of the operation jarred Maya's memory. leading to a look of faint recognition. "…Dr. Naoko Akagi. Hmmm, I used to work with her before SEELE declared me redundant last year. Wonder if she's any relation to Inspector Akagi?"

"She's her mother." Moving her focus away from the forensics detective, Misato noticed there was a high-end laptop windows computer sitting open on a desk off to one side of the room. "Nice computer by the way, certainly better than my standard issue Toshiba."

"That's Norio's computer not mine. As far as I can tell it was on sleep since last Wednesday. Looks like he didn't even have time to properly shut it down, after all he left Outlook and his messages box open" At this, Maya woke the computer up and examined the screens contents. "The strange thing is his last outgoing message consists of four words in some weird European language I can't recognize, while the initial message from the other address is a sentence in English. Guess I'll have to pass it on to the linguistics officer in section."

Furrowing her brow, Misato leaned forward. "Suppose I might as well at least give the English section a shot. **God's in his heaven, all's right with the world**. _That's a creepy message to send a fourteen-year-old boy_. _Now for the second part. Looks like Latin. _Introibo ad altare Dei. I will go into the altar of God." Noticing the incredulous looks from her fellow detectives, Misato made a glib aside. "What, I spent four years getting yelled at by the Urselines, I was bound to pick something up eventually." Turning abruptly, Misato looked back at Shinji. "Anyway, that's pretty much all we can do here right now, might as well head back to Kasumigaseki assuming we can do it in under an hour and an half this time around."

_Geez, I thought she forgot that I was even here, then again considering how much I've actually been allowed to do so far, I suppose I should be happy they didn't just leave without me_. Shaking his head to drive away his stray thoughts, Shinji responded. "Guess I should go and get Rei then." Turning to go find her temporary partner, he was startled to discover that she was standing behind him. Giving a slightly startled yelp, Shinji quickly attempted to cover for himself. "Oh, Hi Ayanami. I thought you were still in your trance thingy."

Coolly, Rei responded, "I completed my study of the crime scene and thought I should locate you."

_If that's the case, why didn't you say anything instead of just standing there staring at the back of my head_? "Okay then. Well, I'm assuming you heard what Misato said about getting ready to head back."

"Yes, and would you please inform Inspector Katsuragi that if my driving displeases her, she's more than free to take the train."

Shrugging, Shinji began to comply with Rei's request. "Misato, Rei said that if…"

"Dammit Shinji, I heard her the first time." After glowering at her two detectives, saving an extra dose of bile for the blue-haired investigator, Misato turned to speak to the forensics detective. "When can you have the forensics report up to Homicide?"

"I can have a preliminary up to Homicide tomorrow morning, but even with the limited amount of trace evidence on site, it's going to take us a few days to work through everything, probably until Saturday at least."

Slightly nodding her head, Misato responded in a succinct manner. "Thanks Maya. By the way, I'm going to call the local Koban and make sure that they send a couple of uniforms, just in case. After all, it's possible that who ever did this might want to clean up after themselves."

Rolling her eyes at the Inspector, Maya acknowledged her worry with a breezy dismissal. "Inspector, sometimes I swear you've watched one too many crappy splatter flicks. Not to mention that judging by the lack of evidence, if anyone wanted to clean up they've already done so." Pausing, she decided to qualify her earlier statement. "Still, I suppose it's better than relying upon my little five-shooter and Shigeru's proclivity for withering sarcasm." Turning away from Misato and returning her gaze to Norio's bedroom floor, Maya whispered a final phrase. "Thanks Misato."

"No problem." Returning her focus back to her charges, Misato's voice regained a sterner tone. "All right, time to head out of here." With a quick passing wave towards the Medical Examiner, Misato lead the way out of the apartment clearly expecting the two detectives to follow suit. However, instead of following their supervisor away from the crime scene, Rei turned towards Shinji and with what he supposed was an attempt at sarcasm, commented upon Misato's departure.

"She must have taken up my offer to ride the train back. After all, I still have my car keys."

_This is going to be a long ride back to HQ. Hope to God my SDAT's batteries hold out._ Realizing that actively taking a side in a dispute which long predated his arrival from Sapporo would make an enemy of at least one, if not both, of the policewomen,  
Shinji decided that he would attempt to stay neutral, in this case by holding the door to the apartment open. "After you, Detective Ayanami."

With this peculiar display of forced politeness, the two detectives left the apartment, leaving Maya and Shigeru to their own devices. Walking out of Norio's room back into the kitchen, the forensics detective asked the coroner a question in a worried tone. "So do you think that they'll be able to break this one?"

While not proving worthy of forcing him to bring his gaze up from the floor, the question prompted a disdainful chuckle from the medical examiner. "Heh. Honestly, Maya, I'm not sure that the three of them working together would have a particularly easy time solving a slam dunk, let alone a stone-cold whodunit like this one."

"But, Ayanami's clearance rate is in the nineties and, from what I've been told, Misato was one of the best investigators in the department back in the teens before she was promoted out, and…"

Looking upwards from the body of Mister Terajima, Shigeru cut off Maya's attempts at reassurance. "Look, Rei and Katsuragi are going to spend all of their time fighting over pointless bullshit leaving everything in the hands of Mister Squeamish, who seems ill-fitted to run a jaywalking investigation let alone a double homicide." With a half-hearted shrug, he returned his gaze back to the kitchen floor. "Whatever, doesn't really bother me, after all it's his name that they'll be in red under for the next twenty years. My job is just determining the cause of death."

Angry at his callous indifference, Maya muttered a vulgarity under her breath. "Asshole." With her opinion stated, Maya turned and stormed back into Norio's room, while Shigeru returned to examining the corpse before him.

After a thirty-minute car ride which this time stretched out to slightly under two hours, and numerous accusations regarding the driving ability of the Daihatsu's owner and various vices of the purple haired backseat passenger, the three Homicide investigators finally returned to their squad room on the fourth floor of the Keischico. With the clock already reaching eleven, and half his first shift blown sitting in the passenger seat of a slow moving automobile, Shinji plopped himself into a chair in the visitor's lounge. Exhausted from both the sights he had seen and turning out the long-running dispute brewing around him, he began pondering whether or not he was truly cut out for working in Homicide, or at the very least in this Homicide squad, where sanity appeared to be optional. Before he could evaluate the possible conclusions to his self-inquiry, the quickly growing familiar sound of Misato's contentious bickering with Rei jarred him from his thoughts.

"That is it, I am never riding in the car with you ever again. Three and an half hours, I would have wasted less time if I walked."

Instead of continuing round fifteen, or perhaps eighteen by this point, of their perpetual dispute regarding the other one's driving tendencies, Rei took a different approach, one that if not surrender was at least a tacit admission of declining interest. "Inspector, don't you have work to do?"

"Nice try at changing the subject but…" Halting for a second to come down from her berating stance, Misato realized that she in fact did still have work to do. "...I've got to go call the Prosecutors' office so they can officially assign an ADA." _Crap, guess this means she wins this one by forfeit. _Looking back at the azure haired detective Misato resolved to get the last word. "Anyways, you should go and help Shinji try to piece together an investigation strategy."

With a vacant and indecipherable expression, Rei countered "Why? Hiraki is his partner."

"Hmm, I suppose because I said so isn't going to cut it this time, now is it?" Rei shook her head, confirming Misato's suspicions. _Okay, maybe I'll try appealing to your sense of empathy, assuming you have a sense of empathy_. "Look he's had a bad first day and introducing him to another detective might completely discombobulate him. And I'd rather wait until tomorrow when he's had a bit of time of settle himself before doing the switch over." Pausing Misato made one last desperate appeal "Plus, judging by his actions in Musashino, he really could use some help."

"How is that my problem?"

Narrowing her gaze, Misato crossly retorted. "Fine. Do what ever the fuck you want, that's what you always do anyways. Just keep this conversation in mind the next time you claim that I never try to reason with you."

"Duly noted." With that curt reply Rei turned on her heels and walked back her desk, only to find her temporary partner, with a confused look on his face, sitting in the unassigned desk opposite hers. One did not have to be the top detective in a homicide squad to realize that Misato's intuition regarding Shinji's mental state was accurate and the strain of everything he had experienced in the last six hours had taken it's toll. Drumming his fingers against his right temple, Shinji began trying to piece together what exactly he had seen in that apartment.

_A laser weapon killed Mrs. Terajima but laser weapons don't actually exist. That's a nice little paradox. Maybe a new type of pistol cartridge I'm unfamiliar with, or perhaps the killer was just so professional that they were able to completely clean the crime scene before we got there. After all, they certainly had enough time. Why would anyone put out a hit on two scientists? Plus that theory doesn't explain why Doctor Aoba was so convinced that a laser was the murder weapon. Maybe a murder-suicide? No, the evidence doesn't hold up in that scenario. And what happened to their son? Was this whole mess a kidnapping gone bad? Is he dead, or simply on the run? Why would Misato insinuate that a teenage boy could possibly have done this, did working in America make her that cynical? For that matter, why does she think that dress of hers is appropriate police attire anyways? I know we didn't have any inspectors who dressed like race queens back in Sapporo. Although, I have to admit that she can pull it off. Ayanami isn't bad looking either. Figures that I would finally get to work with two attractive women instead of the usual old farts that form the backbone of most CIB units, but that they would be completely insane. And, just how did I get on this topic anyways. Guess I should thank my latent sex drive for derailing yet another train of thought. Well I suppose it isn't that dormant if it has this much control. And what kind of sicko thinks of this sort of shit just after seeing the scene of a gruesome double homicide anyways. _

While Shinji was quite capable of continuing his rambling internal dialogue until the end of his shift, he managed to jar himself out of his torpor long enough notice that his temporary partner was, with a mixture of disdain and curiosity, starting at him.

"Guess I got a little lost in thought there" After hearing this hap-hazard explanation, Rei silently returned her focus to the computer in front of her, presumably working on the paperwork for a case of her own. However, Shinji realized that getting a second opinion from the more experienced detective in front of him might, at least, reduce the inconsistencies of his thought process, and expedite the investigation. "So Rei, did you notice anything that might help resolve this investigation?"

"No."

_That was quick_. "Look, I'm completely lost here, anything you might have seen that I didn't would at least narrow things down."

"No."

With his desperation mounting and nervously tapping the side of his desk with his foot, Shinji pressed on. "Well how about that trance of yours, didn't you discover anything from that, I mean, otherwise what was the point." With bile dripping in his voice, Shinji voiced his growing displeasure. "Maybe Misato was right, you were just taking a nap."

Finally growing annoyed with Shinji's surprising persistence, Rei refuted his efforts to gain illumination. "With all due respect, Inspector Katsuragi is not the best judge of character. Furthermore, are you trying to get me to solve this case for you?"

_It would be nice._ "No, of course not, but let's be honest here you haven't been helpful or even remote easy to deal with all day. If this is how you normally treat your partners, it's no wonder why Misato has to shift you around constantly. It is almost as if you don't want to work with me, or anyone for that matter. "

With a snippy if still detached air, Rei affirmed Shinji's suspicion "That would be a correct assumption." Rising from her chair, she picked up a file from her desk "And if you're going to persist in bothering me, I should leave. Excuse me, Detective Ikari." Beginning to storm off in what seemed to pass for her version of a huff, which only slightly varied from her normal walking style, she turned and showing a hint of actual bona fide anger burst Shinji delusions. "You are not my partner and if I have my way, you never will be."

_Well that was unpleasant, but at least now, I can try to piece through this without someone staring a hole through me. _Shinji returned to staring blankly ahead and trying to sort the case out in his mind. However, his thought process only proceeded uninterrupted for thirty seconds or so, until he was again jarred from his thoughts, this time by a high-pitched yet still faintly masculine voice.

"Don't worry about Ayanami, she's pulled the whole storming off routine on every detective in the squad at some point." Shinji looked behind him, discovering that the voice came from a bespectacled young male detective with curly brown hair wearing a wrinkled white dress shirt and black slacks which he looked like he had slept in the day before. Towering behind him was the tracksuit-wearing detective who Shinji remembered Misato briefly talking to a few hours earlier. Looking Shinji over the shorter detective made an emasculating observation. "Hmm, Nambu M-60, five shot double action revolver firing thirty-eight caliber loads. A classic police service weapon, but one that you don't often see now of days. At least with men."

At this statement, the black haired detective upbraided his cohort. "Yeah, like that forty five of yours isn't just an obvious example of overcompensation. A real man doesn't need to hide behind a gun, or at least isn't so damn fascinated with them." Pausing, Touji, as Shinji remembered his first name during this back and forth, proceeded to introduce himself and the other man. "Touji Suzahara, and the tactless wonder is my partner Kensuke Aida."

"Just exactly who are you calling tactless, especially considering your track record."

"Shut up before I decide to break your head open."

"See, this is what I'm talking about, you pugnacious imbecile."

"I told you to stop using big words when insulting me."

Half expecting the two male detectives to launch into fisticuffs, Shinji was surprised when instead they both suddenly burst out into laughter. _Guess these are two more to put in the crazy pile._ While Touji and Kensuke finished amusing themselves, Shinji rolled his eyes, deeply unimpressed with their antics.

Finishing first, Touji tried to bring Shinji up to speed. "Sorry, just thought we would try to lighten the mood seeing as you're obviously worried about something. Plus it seemed like an out of the ordinary way of introducing ourselves."

_You mean you actually planned that little skit. _"Thanks, but I just fell into a double homicide on my first day here so I'm a little self absorbed at the moment." Quickly remembering his manners, Shinji continued, "Oh, I should probably introduce myself, Shinji Ikari."

Touji face felt at this news "Not too many worse ways to start off a homicide career than with two red names on the board. If there's anything both Kensuke and me understand it's having open cases looming overhead. Anyway, we thought we'd offer to show you around the squad room, at least that will get your head out from under this case for fifteen minutes."

"Thanks for the offer but…"

"But if you sit around here doing nothing but thinking about this double, you'll end up driving yourself up the wall. Sometimes, you just have to go with the simplest solution and not over think things. Then again, my clearance rate is in the mid fifties so what the hell do I know?"

Trying to ignore the nullifying final qualification to Touji's remarks, Shinji, for once, focused on the positive. "Actually that does sound like some good advice, and I'll take you guys up on the squad room tour, assuming that he doesn't prattle on about guns the entire time."

With a slightly hurt look on his face, Kensuke defended his fascination. "But you can tell so much about people by what type of gun they carry. Rei's P2000sk tells us that she's demure but still requires a weapon that provides stopping power. Misato's USP shows that she's prepared for a fight and scatterbrained enough to want a gun that won't fail no matter how poorly she maintains it, while my SOCOM proves that…"

"…you have a small dick." Touji chortled at his crude interruption not preparing himself for the inevitable counterattack from his partner.

"Really, because that's not what Hikari said the last time I saw her."

His face growing beet red and his hands balled up into fists, Touji menacingly threatened Kensuke "You better leave her out of this."

Uncertain whether or not this was a second act to the previous skit or the result of actual animosity, Shinji's desire to play peacemaker combined with impatience lead him to preempt this dispute. "Anyways, about that tour…"

With that interruption, the two detectives put aside, at least temporarily, their animosity, and began showing Shinji around the squad room. Meanwhile, after procrastinating since returning to police headquarters, Misato finally resigned herself to the fact that she would have to call the district attorney's office. While, despite her choice of jewelry, not being a particularly religious women, she was unnerved enough to utter a quick prayer under her breath. "Please God don't let him answer."

After the phone had rung three times, a world-weary man with a tired voice answered. "Metropolitan Prefecture Prosecutor's Office, Assistant District Attorney Ryoji Kaji speaking."

"FUCK! That's it God, I'm going to become a Buddhist."

Upon hearing Misato's voice, Kaji's own took on a teasing and faux suave tenor as he grinned upon realizing his good fortune. "And a pleasant evening to you too, Katsuragi. "

Veins bulging in her forehead, Misato's voice took on a shrill and angry tone. "Dammit Kaji! Why the hell are you still there anyways, shouldn't you be off with one of your floozies?"

At this Kaji started snickering to himself, "Am I sensing jealously? Why judging by your tone, you'd almost think we were still married."

"Last time I checked we are still married, separated doesn't equal divorced."

Realizing that while teasing his ex-wife would perhaps garner him some cheap laughs, Kaji decided to attempt to be more respectful, not that he found that task a particularly easy one. "It's been seven years, at this point I think it's safe to say that we're de facto divorced even if we never bothered filing the paperwork. Not to mention that the whole separation was your idea to begin with, unless you're suddenly having second thoughts of course."

Now resorting to rubbing her forehead to relieve the stress building in her cranium, which felt as though it might cause an aneurism, Misato attempted to calm herself down. "I'm more than happy with the way things are now, I just wish that my job didn't force me to interact with my lech of a husband."

Quickly growing tired with the conversation, Kaji tried, and failed, to stifle the urge to counterattack. "Well, you should of thought of that before you transferred in from Nagoya."

"How typical, blame me. Conveniently ignoring that I became a cop well before you became a prosecutor."

"Of course, you forget about a little thing called law school."

Her voicing rising again Misato's anger reasserted itself "Bullshit, you knew I planned on joining the NPA since we met my freshman year. You might remember that time as your third freshman year, assuming you remember it at all."

Sighing, Kaji finally attempted to push for an end to their quasi-marital spat. "Well it's been a nice three months since our last fight but since I would like to get home sometime tonight, would you mind telling me if you had an official reason for calling or simply wanted an excuse to get all hot and bothered before going out to buy new batteries."

Despite her penchant for using sexual humor in her teasing, Kaji's insinuation struck a deep nerve and Misato was unable to stop herself from bellowing directly into the handset. "I SWEAR TO GOD I'M GOING TO SHOOT YOU IN THE FUCKING FACE!" With her shouting being easily heard throughout the squad room despite the door to her office being firmly closed, work in the homicide unit suddenly crashed to a halt. Knowing that Kaji had succeeded in forcing her to lose her temper, Misato grew very quiet.

After pausing, and attempting to focus her breathing to control her temper, she started again in much softer manner. "Sorry about snapping at you, just being a homicide inspector is a hell of a lot more stressful than running a robbery shift. Hesitating, she decided to be fully honest with her previous paramour, "And, considering all we've been through, I still have to prepare myself before talking to you, even taking into consideration that we have been apart for a long time now, and, well, I just lost it."

Feeling guilty, justifiably or otherwise, Kaji tried to absolve Misato for her actions. "Don't worry about it, after all I did provoke you."

Slightly grinning, Misato refused Kaji's attempts to let her off the hook "Thanks, but threatening to shoot you goes just a tad over the line. Anyways, I should probably tell you about everything that's going on."

Misato then spent approximately fifteen minutes detailing everything that had happened with the murders of the Terajimas and how a rookie detective had fallen ass backwards into a case which seemed patently unsolvable on the surface, and in turn would probably become her shift's first major red-ball since coming back from Nagoya.

At this point, Kaji decided to make a potentially dangerous offer. "You know, if you're really desperate, I have a friend in the FBI behavioral science unit who I could always give a call. While it's a long shot, if I funneled enough information to her, she might be able to come up with something.

Tilting her head back in lamentation Misato rebuffed Kaji's proposition. "Thanks for the offer, but the bearded asshole would probably have my head if he found out I was funneling information to the Americans. Or at least bust me back down to Detective." With a sudden spark of intuition, Misato realized that Kaji had used female pronouns. "What do you mean her? I knew it, I'm pouring out my heart to you and all you can think about is manufacturing a convenient excuse for some tawdry…"

At this accusation, Kaji openly laughed in bemusement. "Jesus, Katsuragi, you always did have a one track mind. If it reassures you any, Doctor Soryu isn't my type. Not to mention the sixteen year age gap."

Relieved by the mental image of a dowdy professor in her late fifties, Misato quickly reconsidered his offer. "On second thought, fuck Gendo. If this friend of yours is willing to give us some help under the table, I'm sure that it couldn't hurt that much. And it's not like all the details of the case won't mysteriously turn up in the online editions of Manichi by tomorrow morning anyways."

"All right, I'll give her a call then. Anything else you need."

"Nah, not really."

"In that case, may I suggest that we have dinner tomorrow night, just to go over the particulars of the case, of course."

Taken aback by his presumption, Misato was stunned for a second before recovering "And what makes you think there's a chance in hell I'm going to work with you."

"Come on Katsuragi, you know as well as I do that our violent crimes unit works on the same principle as homicide, if you pick up the phone you work the case, no exceptions, not even if you used to sleep with the Inspector in charge."

"Yeah, because if that was the case, you would have to ask for reassignment every other case." After waiting for the counterattack which never came, probably because Kaji was attempting to figure out exactly what Misato was talking about, she continued "Not to mention that I'm the night shift commander, meaning that I'll, you know, actually be working."

"Nice try, Katsuragi, but this get together is work related so I doubt your super is going to put up much of a fight. Plus I have a gift I've been meaning to give you for a few weeks now."

"Ooh, how thrilling." Misato responded in a mordant yet resigned tone "Guess this means I'll have to browbeat Makoto into covering for me, which I suppose won't be particularly difficult."

"Great, I'll meet you in the lobby at 8 tomorrow night. See you then, babe."

Determined to deny Kaji the satisfaction of getting a rise out of her yet again, Misato silently hung up the phone. _Why the hell did I marry him again? That's right, a dastardly combination of hormones and Catholicism_. Glancing at her watch, Misato realized that it was almost one and the night shift would end soon. Inspecting the detective status board, which directly faced her desk, Misato grabbed a red felt tip marker and began to write in katakana the names of the two victims under the name Ikari.

**Ikari**

**078 H. Terajima**

**079 F. Terajima**

Returning the marker to its resting place, Misato stared at the board, which reduced the process of avenging of Tokyo's murdered into a simple game of flipping red to black. After pausing to reflect upon this impassive arithmetic, she then reopened her office door and attempting to find her rookie detective, scanned her squad room. "Hey Shinji, would you mind coming into my office for a moment?"

Finally returning from the office tour, which, as seemingly everything else for Shinji that day, had stretched out past its original allotted time. Shinji walked over from his desk to the entrance of the Inspector's office. "Umm…sure, what did you want to talk about?"

While Shinji took the liberty of taking a seat in front of her desk, Misato launched into a long-winded monologue. "First, I just wanted to prepare for the flak that the top brass is probably going to be sending our way tomorrow morning. SEELE has enough ties with the higher ups both in the department and the LDP that they're going to be pissed off that the murder of two of their employees will be investigated by someone who joined Homicide literally fifteen minutes before we found the bodies. In fact, I'm willing to bet that when I come into work tomorrow morning, the Superintendent is going to be sitting where you are now before pushing me to either take the case myself or put Rei on this one. That said, I also wanted to let you know that I'm behind you and I'm not planning on taking you off this case any time soon."

_I've only been on the case roughly five hours and I'm already getting a vote of "confidence", that's very encouraging_. "Thanks, Misato. Will that be all?"

"Well that, and I'm going to let you go home early tonight considering all that you've been through seeing your first vics up close and all."

A touch of skepticism entered Shinji's voice "Umm, are you sure that's particularly wise, I mean I do have a double homicide sitting in my lap right now."

Slightly chuckling but without any real mirth in her inflection Misato retorted "Shinji, one of the first things you'll find out about working Homicide is that the posted hours for a shift don't really mean a whole hell of a lot. Trust me, you'll more than make up these twenty minutes in the next few days, especially when you end up pulling eighteen hour shifts."

_Eighteen-hour shifts, because nothing augurs success in detective work like an investigator who can barely keep his eyes open_. "Well in that case, I should probably start heading towards the subway."

_That's right, if he had driven we wouldn't have had our encounter on the way into work this afternoon_. "Well, that would be a good idea except for the minor fact that the last train leaving the station for this neighborhood left ten minutes ago. If you're willing to wait about another hour or so I can give you a ride."

Before Shinji could respond in either the affirmative or negative, Rei turned away from her desk and interjected herself into Shinji and Misato's conversation. "I can drive Detective Ikari home."

_Hmm, guess I forgot to close the door this time. _ "All right, fine with me, assuming it's fine with Shinji."

Secretly quite relieved that he would avoid another harrowing ride with the Inspector, especially considering how terrifying a simple eight-block drive had been earlier, Shinji assented to Rei's surprising offer. "Sure, thanks Rei." As he exited his superior's office, Shinji turned back towards Misato "See you tomorrow Misato."

"See you tomorrow Shinji." As the two detectives exited the squad room, Misato closed the door to her office and opened the laptop sitting on her desk to finally read Shinji's personal file. After slipping on the reading glasses she took great care to hide from her fellow detectives, she began making her way through perfunctory records of his work with the Sapporo PD and in university. Moving to his family history, Misato noticed something which stunned her enough that she commented upon it to no one in particular "He was there when Inspector Ikari, when Yui, was murdered. No wonder he was acting so weird in the Terajima's apartment, nothing quite screws someone up like watching one of their parents die in front of them." With a self-deprecating tone in her voice, Misato came to the point of her previous statement. "Looks like we really do have something in common after all."

Acrimony started slipping into her words "And just what kind of asshole abandons their only son after such an incident only to drag them back, twenty years later, to work in a position which will compromise their psyche everyday." At this Misato got up from her desk filled with resolve. "Guess I'm going to have to look out for Shinji whether his father likes it or not. After all it's the least I can do to repay Yui for everything she did after my father died." With that declaration, Misato returned to her desk to continue examining Shinji's file.

After a couple of abortive attempts by Shinji to strike up conversation with his temporary partner, he had given up any hope of actually communicating with Rei and again fell back upon his SDAT for company on the drive back up. While aware enough of his surroundings to notice that the azure haired investigator was driving a higher rate of speed than before, his main concern was no longer the insanity of the Metropolitan Police Department but the works of Bach and Handel. However, after a combined four hours of strain throughout the workday, the cheap ancient batteries finally gave out removing Shinji's last hope of sanctuary. While content to just stare out of the window, something was eating at Shinji enough to initiate another conversation. "Rei, can I ask you a question?"

"You are going to whether I say yes or no, correct?"

"No, of course not, if you'd rather not talk to me that's fine."

Apparently mollified by Shinji's quasi apology Rei's facial features slightly softened. "Go ahead."

"Do you hate me?"

This display of pitiful self-absorption even took Rei aback, "No. No I don't."

"Then why have you been acting this way? I mean it's quite obvious that even if you don't hate me you certainly don't want me around at all"

Moving her focus ever so slightly away from the road on to Shinji, Rei responded. "It's nothing personal, I simply work better alone and desire to maximize both my and the department's efficiency. Granted you are rather self-pitying and have very little if any investigative acumen but that's normal behavior in CIB. Simply put, just because I would rather you would go back to Sapporo doesn't mean I actively dislike you."

At this blunt summation, Shinji bristled "So in other words you don't hate me, you just think that I'm a whiny moron."

"Moron is too strong, you obviously have some basic intelligence. But, as this conversation shows, you are whiny and probably a mediocre cop at best, perhaps qualified for fraud investigations but not homicide." Unusually from what Shinji could tell from his previous interactions with Rei, she then attempted to qualify her statement. "If it's any consolation, I already find you more tolerable than Inspector Katsuragi or Detective Kirishima."

_Nothing reassures quite like obviously backhanded praise_. "Thanks, I guess. Anyways, if I can ask another question why did you become a cop anyways, if it seems to annoy you so much?"

Pausing for a second to reflect upon the question, Rei answered in a cautious manner. "The work doesn't annoy me, only other people."

Wanting to continue the apparent thaw in relations, Shinji decided against pushing the matter any further. "Fair enough, on my end I suppose this is the family business in a manner of speaking. Four generations of Ikaris stretching from my grand-grandfather to myself have been sworn officers in the NPA. Also, my parents met while on the force. My father is even still there today.

Nonplused, Rei responded "Supervising Superintendent Gendo Ikari?"

Now it was Shinji's turn to be thrown off his guard. "How did you know he's my father?"

"Until like Inspector Katsuragi I actually take the time to read the files of incoming homicide detectives. Although even if I hadn't the family resemblance would have given you away."

Before Shinji could determine whether Rei's comparing him to his father was a positive occurrence, she slammed on the brakes suddenly for the second time that night. _Between Misato's driving and her braking I'll have to learn how to drive just to avoid being killed._ Regaining his balance after the stop, Shinji looked through the windshield and noticed a large barricade in the middle of the street adjacent to his apartment building. Instinctively shifting his view towards his newly established home, he saw a toxic black smoke billowing from the top four stories of the complex.

With all the stress that the day had pilled upon him, Shinji finally grew angry enough to utter a vulgarity that Misato had used numerous times over the previous eight hours. "I can't fucking believe this, after all that's happened today." Rushing out of the blue compact, Shinji raced over to the barricade where he nearly ran headlong into the fire department captain commanding the suppression efforts. With a dismayed bordering upon frenzied tone, he verbally pushed the captain. "Captain, just what the hell is going on here?"

Unsurprisingly, for a man in a dangerous profession who, as far as he could tell, was being cajoled by some drunken salaryman, the captain responded in a manner lacking tact and decorum. "Who the fucking hell are you, you little fucking shit!"

For the second time that day, Shinji reached into his coat pocket and used his shield in a more than metaphorical manner. "Detective Shinji Ikari, and I live on the ninth floor of that building."

Realizing that the young man was not just an intoxicated passerby picking a fight on the urgings of John Barleycorn, the captain exerted a modicum of respect in his voice, but only a modicum. "Sorry Detective, but my first concern right now is with trying to keep that building from collapsing from structural damage, so I don't exactly have a lot of time to be answering questions right now. But to answer the one you already asked, as far as we can tell so far some idiot fell asleep while cooking dinner and having left the oven on started a chain reaction, and well, you see the results there in front of you."

"Is there anything I can do to help out?"

"Depends you wouldn't happen to be an arson detective would you? It's been over an hour and they still have shown up yet."

"Sorry, homicide."

Shaking his head in resignation, the captain continued. "Figures, CIB response times have gone down the shitter in the last couple of months. But on the bright side we're pretty sure everyone got out, so we won't be needing your assistance in that regard." As the captain finished his statement, an apartment on the ninth floor, with seemingly dramatic timing, belched flame in a mini-eruption. "Shit, for your sake kid, I hope that wasn't your apartment."

Counting the windows on the ninth floor to determine if that indeed was his apartment, Shinji turned back towards the captain "Same here Captain, anyways I probably should let you get back to work." With that hasty proclamation, Shinji returned to the Daihatsu, where he immediately broke out in frustrated laughter, which prompted a response from Rei. "Everything all right, detective?"

This unenlightened question prompted another laughing fit from Shinji until he regained enough self-control to answer. "My apartment complex is in the process of burning to the ground, and you're actually oblivious enough to ask if I'm all right?" At this, his voice shifted into a deep and foreboding tone, which would have unnerved even his famously resolute father. "What do you think?" Quickly realizing that he had found the Rokubungi steel, Shinji retreated away from that coldness. "Sorry, it's just that…"

At this point in yet another apology, Rei cut Shinji off "No, I'm sorry. It was a stupid question." At this, she started the Daihatsu's engine and starting backing away from the barricade. "If you're desperate, you can sleep on the extra futon at my apartment."

Forcing a slight smile to his face Shinji accepted the offer. "Thanks, Rei."

**Notes from the Writer**

Well that certainly took long enough. Anyway, sorry about the extreme delay between chapters. Long story short, the wonders of graduate school and a computer hard drive failure combined with constant indecision about just exactly what I wanted to do with Kaji and Ritsuko, before finally settling on district attorney and police inspector respectively, (which in hindsight seems quite obvious) led to this process being delayed time after time. To the point where I am willing to bet that most everyone assumed I had abandoned the project and after eight months I cannot say that I particularly blame them. All I can do is apologize and express my hope that this chapter will have been worth the wait.

I'm not sure if there's much of anything brought up during the chapter that needs any real clarification. One possible exception is that Misato's working in Baltimore instead of, say, New York or Chicago, is intended as a shout out to Homicide: Life on the Streets (and for that matter all of David Simon's police procedurals), which I've attempted to loosely modeled this work after.

In addition, I was wondering if anyone out there knew the general protocol for finding a pre-reader? While I have a couple of friends who are willing to look over chapters before I post them (although I still manage to slip a few nonsensical typos past even the most stringent editors) they aren't particularly big fans of Evangelion. Therefore, while able to spot errors in general writing practices, they might let lapses in character slip through that someone who has watched the DVD's repeatedly would probably catch.

Finally, I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to read IAAD so far. I would also like to especially thank Fifth Horseman and Mr. Lee for their kind reviews of the first chapter. All I can say is that I hope I haven't squandered the potential they saw in that first bit of writing. Thanks again for reading.


End file.
